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Vernon, Texas
Vernon is a city in and the county seat of Wilbarger County, Texas. The population of the city is 11,002. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 55.50% White (6,106) 32.48% Hispanic or Latino (3,573) 9.16% Black or African American (1,008) 2.86% Other (315) 17.0% (1,870) of Vernon residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Vernon has low rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 4 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 0.74 murders a year. Pokemon See the Wilbarger County page for more info. Fun facts * The original town was called Eagle Springs by the Tonkawa Indians as early as 1858. After the American Civil War, more settlers began moving in the area, and in 1880 they applied for a post office as Eagle Flat. However, the U.S. Post Office rejected the name, saying too many Texas towns were already called Eagle something. The town then chose the name Vernon, after George Washington's home, Mount Vernon. * An estimated seven million head of cattle passed through Vernon on the Great Western Cattle Trail between 1873 and the 1890s. The historic trail was located 90 miles west of and parallel to the better-known Chisholm Trail. * Vernon is host to various events annuallym including the four-day Santa Rosa Roundup rodeo in May, which is sponsored by the local Santa Rosa Palomino Club. VSMCA is host to Summer's Last Blast, a car show that shows a variety of the '50s - late 2000s cars, which is held the second weekend of August every year. * Since 1884, Doan's May Picnic has been held on the first Saturday of May at the ghost town of Doans located 15 miles north of Vernon. A barbecue lunch and T-shirts are available for sale, and a king and queen are crowned at the annual event. One of the shirts for 2017 features a design by Harold Dow Bugbee, the late curator of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas, which depicts Longhorns and a cowboy crossing the Red River at Doan's Crossing, where the postmaster Corwin F. Doan (1848-1929) also operated a store to supply the cowboys. Bugbee's sculpture is part of the 1931 Trail Drivers Monument located at Doans. Riders cross the river from Oklahoma and usually arrive just before noon. The 1881 adobe house, the oldest in Wilbarger County, is open for tours during the picnic. * Although close to Wichita Falls, Vernon is stagnant, and hasn't really seen a lot of growth in recent years. * Major businesses and industries in Vernon include a Tyson Foods (formerly Wright Brand Foods) bacon processing plant, a Rhodia, Inc. guar processing plant, North Texas State Hospital, which is operated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (an agency of the Texas Health and Human Services System), Victory Field Correctional Academy (a juvenile detention facility operated by the Texas Youth Commission), and the Texas AgriLife (Texas A&M System) Research and Extension Center. * The nearby Waggoner Ranch holds the distinction of being the largest spread in Texas under one fence. The ranch remains operational, with business in petroleum, farming, horses, and cattle. The Waggoner produces some of the best ranch horses in Texas, many from the breeding of the quarter horse Poco Bueno. According to the wishes of E. Paul Waggoner, Poco Bueno is buried in a standing position on the corner at the main entrance to the ranch. * Vernon has a bit of amenities to offer. It has a Walmart, Nintendo World, dollar stores, Wilbarger County Airport, a small contest hall and showcase theater, some local restaurants and businesses, Solstice Apparel, Red River Valley Museum, a bit of auto parts places and car dealerships, United Supermarkets, a bit of fast food, a sports complex, a couple of RV parks, a bit of hotels/motels, some public battle fields, a shopping center, and not much else. Category:Texas Cities